There may be split in Left Front if Cong-CPI(M) alliance continues: Experts

The Left Front which was set up four decades ago is facing a crisis over CPI(M)’s closeness to Congress and if this continues then the Front might split in the next few months, political experts said.

After the experiments of United Front government in 1967 and 1969 failed, veteran Left leaders like Promod Dasgupta, Jyoti Basu, Ashok Ghosh and Tridib Chowdhury proposed formation of Left Front which came to power in 1977 and continued till 2011. 

It was decided that any major issue would be discussed in the Front and not in the partners. Though from the beginning CPI(M) had played the role of big brother because of its political muscle and money power, its leaders like Basu and Dasgupta had always  discussed  important issues in the Front. However, there was a clear deviation from this principle in 2016 when alliance was made with Congress. Front leaders were kept outside the loop.

After the poll debacle, Front leaders forced LF chairman Biman Bose to make a statement that Congress would not be invited for the movements of LF. The Front partners told Bose he would have to select between the allies of Congress. But despite that CPI(M) refused to depart with Congress and pro alliance leaders pleaded strongly in the two day state committee meeting concluded on June 12 in favour of the alliance.

Veteran leaders of RSP, CPI and Forward Bloc said they were keeping tab on the situation. A veteran RSP leader said the allies were waiting for the outcome of the Central committee meeting of CPI(M) scheduled to be held in Delhi from June 18 to 20. Political experts said if the Central Committee gave a go ahead to the state CPI(M), allies might come out of the Front, political experts said. But the chances from getting a nod from the Central Committee is a distant dream and that would flout the party’s decision to maintain equidistance with Congress and BJP. Even the Politburo in its statement had said the decision to form alliance with Congress was not in consonance with the decision of the Central Committee.

The pro alliance CPI(M) leaders have made scathing attack on PB and CC and political experts said CC would not spare the leaders from Bengal who were minority in CC. Earlier, the CC did not allow Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister and decided to withdraw its support to the UPA II government.